Tax time open season for ID thieves and IRS impersonators

For many of us, April 15 brings to mind headache-inducing forms, meetings with accountants or tax preparers, and long lines at the Post Office. However, there is one group that increasingly looks forward to tax season as lucrative: identity thieves. For ID thieves, stealing an identity is just the beginning. Ultimately, they aim to turn that identity into cash. Using stolen personal information to open new lines of credit used to be the option of choice. However, in recent years the ID thieves have latched on to a new scam: using stolen identities to obtain fraudulent tax refunds.

The phone rings and a scary voice on the other end tells you that you owe them money and need to pay up … or else. The caller leads you to believe that a recent loan you took out has come due and that its time to pay or face legal action. Frightening, right?

Shortly after the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or more commonly, "Obamacare") was signed into law in 2010, scams linked to the programs began to crop up. At Fraud.org, we are concerned that it's going to only get worse as state and federal health insurance exchanges come on line this fall.

Magazine sales scams typically begin with a knock at the door and a young person on the other side selling magazine subscriptions to “raise money” for a charity, school trip, or other seemingly worthy cause. Consumers who take the bait and sign up, however, often report receiving nothing in return. The Better Business Bureau files more than 1,000 complaints about magazine sales fraud annually.

Featured Scam

Advertising MaterialsCategory: Fraud Against BusinessesName: Advertising MaterialsDescription:
Companies offering help to advertise the business on placemats, calendars and other materials often approach businesses. Business owners should be wary of these offers, since the “advertiser” may just take your money and run.
Do your research. Bef ...